The present invention relates in general to a lobster trap and is concerned, more particularly, with an improved lobster trap construction, one in which it is difficult for the lobster to escape.
One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an improved lobster trap and one in which the lobster trap is constructed so that it is quite difficult for the lobster to escape from the trap once he has entered the trap and reached the bait therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lobster trap that is of relatively simple construction and which can be opened quite easily for ready access to the lobsters within the trap.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lobster trap that requires very little maintenance and which can be quite easily constructed of a lightweight material.
To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of this invention there is provided a lobster trap that comprises an outer shell having water passage holes therein including means at one end of the shell defining an entrance. At the other end of the outer shell there is provided an access opening which is preferably covered by a removable plate or the like. The plate is usually locked in position when the trap is to be used but may be unlocked to provide access to the interior of the outer shell where the lobsters are disposed. The lobster trap also includes an inner shell that also has water passage holes therein and includes both entrance and exit means. The inner shell and outer shell are both preferably cylindrical, although the inner shell may be cylindrical while the outer shell is square or rectangular. The inner shell has a length less than the length of the outer shell and in the preferred embodiment has a length on the order of one half of the length of the outer shell thereby defining a substantially open compartment between the inner shell and outer shell. Means are provided for supporting the inner shell at the one end of the outer shell adjacent the entrance of the outer shell. The support means preferably comprises pivotal support means. A ramp is disposed in the inner shell and it actually forms an integral part thereof. This ramp extends between the entrance and exit means of the inner shell and is weighted so that regardless of the position of the outer shell when it rests on the ocean bottom, the inner shell is pivoted so that the ramp slopes upwardly from the entrance to the lobster trap to the exit from the inner shell into the space defined between the inner shell and the outer shell. This space is longitudinally disposed of the inner shell, and because of the position of the ramp, a lobster entering the inner shell through the aligned entrances of the inner and outer shells progresses up the ramp and then downwardly enters the space in the outer shell that is disposed longitudinally adjacent to the inner shell. It is this space, preferably of a volume corresponding to the volume of the inner shell that the bait for the lobster is disposed. The trap, is provided also with a lift line, which in the disclosed embodiment is secured to the removeable end plate.